#divebarroadtrip Archives - The Iowa Roadie

General April 30, 2023

Lessons from Nashville…The Iowa Roadie’s Unorthodox Travel Guide to Music City

I recently took a trip to Nashville.While there, I unfortunately did not see any big country music stars. Nor did I drink out of a boot.However I DID do a little line dancing…That is, if being two beats off during “Cotton Eyed Joe” and stomping on a stranger’s foot qualifies as line dancing.I left Nashville with the following:* A pair of flared jeans that I’ll likely never wear again* Some mild liver damage* An empty checkbookSo, dear readers, to help you avoid these pitfalls & truly enjoy your time in Music City, I want to share a few words of wisdom with you. (Background Johnny Cash music is optional.) Lesson #1…Honkytonk drinking is expensive.I love listening to live music in Nashville. The talent no matter where you go is incredible. It is easy to sit and listen for hours while sipping a few cocktails.The problem with hours of honky tonk…

General January 28, 2023

The Blog about Nothing (except urine)

I enjoy a good gin and tonic. My husband disagrees. He equates my cocktail of choice to eating a pinecone. I equate his Coors Light to urine. Before I go any further, I would like to apologize to the Coors company. It is unfair of me to compare their malted beverage to urine when I have never actually consumed urine. Instead, it is an extremely aggressive metaphor expressing my dislike of ALL beers. Even Busch Light. I know. I know. With that one bold statement, I have provoked the entire beer drinking population of Iowa into a booze-infused rage. (Please don’t unfollow me yet.) But… I. Don’t. Like. Beer. I also don’t like well drinks. It’s a curse. Really. You Busch Latte fans will never understand. Happy Hour comes & you can buy $2 pints. You are able to drink all night on a $20 bill. Tangueray is NEVER discounted. …

#dive bar February 15, 2022

Dilly Dilly & Killer Cocktails…Destination: Ivan’s 90th Birthday Party at The Cottontail Lounge (Urbandale)

I should have been a traveling salesman.For alcohol.Forget encyclopedias or vacuum cleaners. Liquor peddled straight to your door. Now THERE’S a pyramid scheme I’d be happy to invest in. In the meantime, I’ll have to settle for recommending spirits to fellow supermarket customers who are stuck in a cocktail rut.For example…Take Joe and Tracy. A nice couple from Des Moines passing through Mason City last summer. They happened to be browsing HyVee’s rum selection at the same time as the Iowa Roadie. One hour later, they left with FOUR bottles of alcohol they had never heard of.(You’re welcome HyVee. I am still waiting for that commission check.)Now…in a normal situation, the Iowa Roadie’s random encounter with Joe & Tracy would have ended there. The couple would have left in agreement to NEVER talk to strangers again…while still enjoying the Little Beers I suggested.Take Away #1…Never underestimate the Iowa Roadie and…

General July 19, 2021

The Iowa Roadie Turns 50…Destination: Chippewa Falls/Eau Claire, WI

Last week the Iowa Roadie turned 50.My special day was heralded with some well-meaning birthday cards…and a membership solicitation from the AARP. The day also came with the realization that if asked for my ID, the server would not be verifying that I was legal to drink…but instead checking to see if I qualify for the senior citizen discount. Happy birthday to me! In any case, a birthday–especially one of this magnitude–requires a celebration. So the Iowa Roadie’s husband not only planned a long weekend trip to the Eau Claire/ Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin area BUT presented me with a birthday crown and sash. As I had never known the joy of being crowned Homecoming Queen (or even the Pork Queen at the county fair), this was my first time feeling the rush that comes with a make believe tiara.You know what else comes with wearing a cheap crown and sash?Free…

General July 5, 2020

There’s Something About Tacos…Destination: Willow Run Lounge (Mason City)

There’s something about tacos. With ice cold beer. Or a margarita. Heck…tacos and ANY alcohol is a win. So when the Iowa Roadie and husband drove by the Willow Run Lounge in Mason City and saw a sign proclaiming “homemade tacos and ice cold beer all day & night,” there really was no decision to ponder. Homemade tacos and ice cold beer. All Day & Night. Seriously…which of you WOULDN’T brake for that? We pulled into the parking lot and found a spot between two vehicles bearing handicap license plates. I found this quite appropriate as the Iowa Roadie’s husband recently celebrated a milestone birthday and began receiving AARP invitations himself. (For the record, the Iowa Roadie’s husband is not pleased with this development. Mainly because this is proof that when someone asks for his ID, it is not to assess if he can legally drink, but instead to determine…

#dive bar March 29, 2020

Spreading Some Dive Bar Love… Destination: Nowhere

Forget water. I recently stocked up on alcohol. I figure if I get quarantined with my family, I need more than water to help me survive. I recently purchased two bottles of Crown Peach…which may be Very Important Currency if I need to trade for toilet paper. I also purchased some “Cheap Ass Beer” (manufactured in Minnesota) for my husband, as well as cucumber vodka for $10.99 (I may never drink it, but I saved $15!) and Hy Vee’s “customer choice” Amsterdam coconut vodka. (Impulse buy.) In all honesty, I tend to go a little bonkers in the liquor store. I have BOTTLES of alcohol that sit unopened on a shelf in our basement. (That is because I drink leftover $4 Aldi’s Christmas wine, and my husband drinks “Cheap Ass Beer.”) We rarely make mixed drinks at home, because that’s what Iowa Roadie adventures are for. It’s far more fun…

General March 1, 2020

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner…Destination: Riverside Tavern (Lehigh, Iowa) with stops at Puttz Lounge (Williams) and Lucky Donkey (Boxholm)

It started with a guy named Flint. And a shot. In a bar basement. That trilogy either screams disaster…or an Iowa Roadie adventure as crazy as any we’ve experienced. I’m going with option #2. You must know that sometimes our Iowa Roadie adventures do not align to a well-thought out plan. (Big shocker here if you’ve read even ONE other Iowa Roadie blog!) We sometimes begin with a starting or end goal in mind, but the journey itself rarely follows a pre-determined protocol. This is mainly due to things like shots…and guys named Flint…and bar basements. I often get recommendations of places to visit, and a recent referral was to the Riverside Tavern in Lehigh. THAT was our end goal. The problem with reaching our destination is that the Iowa Roadie is easily distracted by Google. Specifically the “dive bars near me” Google search that I always put in as…